Variable vane agitator with self-compensating and resetting means



3,511,067 VARIABLE VANEAGITATOR WITH SELF-COMPENSATING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .D. A. M-ATZEN AND RESETTING MEANS W I I -11 ll PM i r J M .b w m a 4L h 0 w 7 Z 5 z 1 H \11i.|i r A 2/ p a g Z M Q a w W H W M l H P 3 5 a a Fig../

- May 12, 1910 Filed Jqly 5, 1968 INVENTOR.

[ W pW/WATTORNEYS May 12, 1970 D. A. MATZEN 3,511,067

VARIABLE VANE AGITATOR WITH SELF-COMPENSATING AND RESETTING MEANS Filed July 5, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

0.4 we 4. M4 726W United States Patent US. Cl. 6823.7 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A washing machine having an agitator assembly for agitating the laundered material therein. The agitator assembly is oscillated by a drive shaft at low speed during a wash cycle and is rotated by the drive shaft at high speed in only one direction of rotation during a spin cycle. The agitator assembly includes an agitator shell and a plurality of radially movable agitation vanes carried by the agitator shell for joint rotation and operatively connected to the drive shaft for radial movement in response to angular displacement of the drive shaft and the agitator shell from a relatively neutral position. A helical spring connects the drive shaft and the agitator shell so that during the wash cycle when the drive shaft turns in one direction of rotation the agitator shell is angularly displaced from the neutral position relative to the drive shaft by an angle which corresponds to the size of the load of laundered material and to the turnresisting force produced thereby to which the agitator shell is subjected. During rotation of the drive shaft in the other direction of rotat on the agitator shell is maintained in its displaced poslt on by a one-way clutch mechanism providing joint rotation of the drive shaft and the agitator shell. A centrlfugal-force producing weighted member mounted on the clutch mechanism disengages the clutch mechanism during the spin cycle to enable the agitator shell and the drive shaft to return to the relatively neutral position thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the field of washing machines and more particularly to washing machines of the agitator type.

Agitator type washing machines generally employ an agitator which oscillates rotatably on a vertical axis during a wash cycle and then spins in one direction and at high speed during a spin cycle. One or more adjustable agltation vanes extend radially from the agitator to increase the level of agitation of the laundry liquid and the laundered material during the wash cycle.

It is generally desirable to vary the level of agitation during the wash cycle in response to variations in the size or quantity of the load of laundered material. For example, a relatively low level of agitation is desired when the size of the wash load is low. On the other hand, as the quantity of laundered material increases the level of agitation should also increase.

It is known in the prior art to vary the level of agitation by manually adjusting the agitation vanes. This arrangement is not entirely satisfactory, however, since it not only consumes time and effort on the part of the operator but also often results in an improper adjustment of the agitation vanes due to miscalculation on the part of the operator with respect to the size or quantity of the wash load in the machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing apparatus for automatically adjusting the agitation level of the washing machine to correspond with the size of the load of laundered material. Briefly, the invention comprises an agitator washing machine operable through a low speed wash cycle and a high speed spin cycle and includes an agitator assembly having an axis of rotation and including agitation vanes movable between a low and a high level agitation position, means for oscillating said agitator assembly during a wash cycle and for spinning said agitator assembly during a spin cycle, means responsive to and corresponding to the size of the load of laundered material in the machine during the wash cycle for moving the agitation vanes from said low level to a higher level agitation position, and speed-responsive means for automatically returning said agitation vanes to said low level agitation position during the high speed spin cycle.

This invention features a resilient member between the drive shaft and the agitator assembly whereby the agitator assembly lags behind or is angularly displaced from the drive shaft during the wash cycle by an angle which is proportionate to the magnitude of the turn-resisting force imposed on the agitator assembly by the laundered material. The agitation vane adjustment mechanism operates in response to this angular displacement.

During each back-and-forth cycle of oscillation the velocity of the agitator assembly is reduced to zero as it changes directions. The two zero-velocity positions of the agitator assembly may be conveniently referred to as the limiting positions. Since the turn-resisting force acting ,on the agitator assembly is sharply reduced at these limiting positions the agitation vanes would normally have a tendency to move from the low level agitation position to a high level agitation position and then back to the low level agitation position as the agitator assembly oscillates in each direction between the limiting positons thereof.

In order to prevent this continual adjustment of the agitation vanes the present invention features a one-way clutch mechanism which permits the drive shaft and the agitator assembly to rotate relative to one another as the drive shaft oscillates in one direction but couples the two together for joint rotation as the drive shaft oscillates in the opposite direction. The clutch mechanism therefore effectively maintains the angular displacement between the drive shaft and the agitator assembly after such angular displacement has once been established by virtue of the turn-resisting force of the laundered material.

In order to return the drive shaft and the agitator assembly to the relatively neutral positions thereof after the wash and spin cycles have been completed and before the next wash cycle begins the present invention features a clutch release mechanism operable in response to increased contrifugal forces produced by the increased speed of the drive shaft during the spin cycle. As a consequence of the clutch release mechanism the agitation vanes are always disposed at the low level agitation positions thereof at the beginning of each wash cycle.

In view of the foregoing it is an object of the present invention to provide, in an agitator-type washing machine, means for automatically adjusting the agitation level of the machine to correspond to the size of the load of laundered material.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the time and effort required in adjusting the agitation vanes.

Another object is to eliminate the necessity for readjusting the agitation vanes at the beginning of each wash cycle.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which preferred structural embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example only.

3 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an agitator type washing machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with portions thereof broken away and other portions shown in section to reveal the relative disposition of parts.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the agitator assembly of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along lines IIIIII of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of one of the clutch surfaces of the one-way clutch mechanism of the invention and is taken along lines IVIV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the one-way clutch mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, an agitator type washing machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is indicated generally at reference numeral 10. Various components of the washing machine include an outer cabinet 11 at the top of which is mounted a hinged cover 12, and imperforate tub 13 for receiving a supply of laundry liquid, a perforate drum 14 for receiving the material to be laundered, registered openings 16 and 17 through which the laundry material is loaded into the drum, an agitator assembly 18 which is mounted for rotation on a vertical axis and a drive shaft 19 which drives the agitator assembly 18. The drive shaft 19 is connected to a suitable driving mechanism such as an electric motor mounted in the lower portion of the cabinet 11 so that the drive shaft oscillates back and forth during a wash cycle and spins at high speed in one direction of rotation during a spin cycle. Bottom walls 20 and 21 of the tub 13 and the drum 14 slope upwardly at the central portions thereof and are provided respectively with openings 22 and 23 through which the drive shaft 19 projects up into the agitator assembly 18.

The level of agitation produced by the agitator assembly 18 is regulated by the adjustment of a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially movable agitation vanes, one of which is indicated in the drawings at reference numeral 24. As the vanes 24 are moved radially outwardly from the axis of rotation or oscillation of the agitator assembly 18, the area of the effective agitation or action surface is increased to increase the level of agitation. Conversely, when the agitation vanes 24 are moved radially inwardly the level of agitation decreases.

The drive shaft 19 is part of a drive mechanism which includes an inner agitator shell 26 having a reduced diameter portion 27 at the upper end thereof which is axially bored and splined to receive a splined upper end 28 of the drive shaft 19. The inner agitator shell 26 is, therefore, connected to the drive shaft 19 for joint oscillation and rotation.

The agitator assembly 18 includes an outer agitator shell 29 having a reduced diameter portion 30 at the upper end thereof which is centrally bored as at 31 to receive the upper end portion 27 of the inner agitator shell 26.

An outer cyclindrical wall 32 of the inner agitator shell end portion 27 as well as an inner cylindrical wall 33 of the outer agitator shell end portion 30 are smooth and spaced radially from one another to provide a chamber therebetween in which is disposed a helical spring 34. An upper end 36 of the spring 34 projects radially into an aperture 37 formed in the outer agitator shell 29 and a bottom end 38 projects into an aperture 39' formed in the inner agitator shell 26 for joint rotation therewith. An annular bead 40 is formed on the top surface of a radial wall 41 of the inner agitator shell 26 for Supporting 4 and for providing a bearing surface for the outer agitator shell 29 as it rotates relative to the inner agitator shell 26.

An agitator cap 42 is mounted on a cylindrical member 43 which inturn is connected for joint rotation with the drive shaft 19. A side wall 44 of the cap 42 comprises an inner cylindrical wall 46 which is threaded to the reduced diameter portion 30 of the outer agitator shell 29.

The agitation vane 24 is disposed within a vane guide 47 which comprises a top wall 48 and a pair of spaced parallel vertical side walls 49 and 50. The vane guide 47 is formed on and projects radially outwardly of a body portion 51 of the outer agitator shell 29 and a distal end 52 thereof is open so that the vane 24 is movable within the confines of the side walls 49 and from a radially inner or low level agitation position shown in the solid lines in FIG. 2 to a radially outer or high level agitation position as shown in the dashed lines in FIG. 2.

The agitation vane 24 comprises spaced parallel top and bottom walls 53 and 54 and spaced parallel end walls 56 and 57. The bottom wall 54 is supported in sliding engagement on a top wall 58 of a skirt 59 extending radially outwardly from the bottom end of the inner agitator shell 26. A pin or cam follower member 60 projects downwardly from the bottom wall 54 and is received in a curved slot 61 formed in the skirt 59, the side walls of the slot 61 providing cam surfaces for the pin 60.

Preferably a plurality of agitation vanes 24 and vane guides 47 are spaced equally about the circumference of the outer agitator shell 29. The slots 61 each extend from an inner end 62 to an outer end 63 disposed not only in circumferentially spaced but also radially outwardly spaced relation to the inner end 62. It will be apparent from FIG. 3 that as the inner and outer agitator shells 26 and 29 are rotated with respect to one another the agitation vanes 24 rotate with the outer agitator shell 29 and also move radially outwardly to a high level agitation position as shown in the dashed lines at reference numeral 24.

In operation the inner agitator shell 26, which is directly coupled to and driven jointly with the drive shaft 19, drives the outer agitator shell 29' through the helical spring 34. As the drive shaft 19 begins turning in one direction of rotation during a wash cycle the inner agitator shell 26, of course, turns with it. However the load of laundry material within the drum 14 imposes a counterforce or a turn-resisting force on the outer agitator shell 29 proportionate to the quantity of laundry material within the drum 14.

Since the outer agitator shell 29 is subjected to a torque acting against the torque being applied by the inner agitator shell 26, the outer agitator shell 29 does not immediately rotate jointly with the inner agitator shell 26 but instead lags behind the inner agitator shell 26, thus producing a winding force on the spring 34 until the torsional force applied to the outer agitator shell 29 by the spring 34 exceeds the turn-resisting force to which the outer agitator shell 29 is subjected by virtue of the washing load in the drum 14.

As the inner and outer agitator shells 26 and 29 rotate relative to one another, however, the agitation vanes 24 are moved radially outwardly a distance which corresponds to the angle of relative rotation between the inner and outer agitator shells 26 and 29 which, in turn, depends upon the magnitude of the turn-resisting force being applied to the outer agitator shell 29 by the laundry material. Thus as the quantity of laundry material within the drum 14 is increased the angle of lag or relative rotation between the inner and outer agitator shells 26 and 29 increases proportionately. As a consequence the level of agitation, which varies as a function of the position of the agitation vanes 24, corresponds proportionately to the size of the load of laundry material in the drum 14.

As the drive shaft 19 oscillates and approaches a limiting position of oscillation or a position at which the direction of rotation is reversed, the turn=resisting force acting on the outer agitator shell 29 is substantially reduced and the tendency of the spring 34 is to cause the outer agitator shell 29 to rotate relative to the inner agitator shell 26 to bring the two shells back from a relatively rotationally displaced position to the relatively neutral position which they assumed initially or at rest. If this were to occur, of course, the agitation vanes 24 would be extended to the proper high level agitation position only when the drive shaft 19 rotated in one direction of rotation during each cycle of oscillation, since when the drive shaft is rotated in the opposite direction the outer agitator shell 29 would lag behind the inner agitator shell 26 in a manner causing the agitation vanes 24 to be moved to their radially innermost positions.

In order to maintain the agitation vanes 24 in an extended or high level agitation position commensurate with the quantity of wash load in the washing machine means are provided for rotating the outer agitator shell 29 jointly with the inner agitator shell 26 in one direction of rotation as the agitator assembly 18 oscillates back and forth during the wash cycle. As shown in the drawings, the outer agitator shell 29 comprises a radial top wall 64 which has formed thereon a series of radially extending circumferentially continuous clutch teeth 66. Disposed above the radial wall 64 is a clutch member 67 comprising a tubular body portion 68 and an outturned'shoulder 69. A bottom wall 70 of the clutch member 67 has formed thereon a complementarily arranged series of clutch teeth 71 disposed in face-to-face relation with the clutch teeth 66.

The tubular body portion 68 is arranged in circumferentially surrounding relation to the cylinder wall 32 of the inner agitator shell 26 and is splined thereto as indicated at reference numeral 77 so that the clutch member 67 rotates jointly with the inner agitator shell 26 but is movable axially with respect thereto.

The clutch member 67 is normally biased into abutting engagement with the radial wall 64 of the outer agitator shell 29. The clutch teeth 66 and 71 are arranged so that when the drive shaft 19 and the inner agitator shell 26 are oscillated in one direction of rotation the outer agitator shell 29 can lag behind the inner agitator shell 26 by an angle corresponding to the size of the wash load.

To illustrate, assume in the embodiment shown in FIG. that the clutch member 67 which rotates jointly with the inner agitator shell 26 and the drive shaft 19, is rotated in a clockwise direction as this would appear from above FIG. 5. It is apparent that the clutch teeth 71 would merely slide across the clutch teeth 66. As the direction of rotation of the clutch member 67 is reversed, however, the clutch teeth 71 would meshingly engage with the clutch teeth 66 to rotate the outer agitator shell 29 jointly with the inner agitator shell 26.

In the embodiment illustrated the biasing force acting on the clutch member 67 is provided by a plurality of circumferentially spaced generally axially extending leaf springs indicated at reference numeral 72. Each of the springs 72 is connected in fixed assembly at opposite ends to the tubular portion 68 of the clutch member 67 and to a flange 73 of the cylindrical member 43. The fastening connection may be provided by any suitable fastening means such as, for example, rivets or the like as indicated at reference numeral 74. After the wash cycle has been completed the washing machine operates through a spin cycle during which the drive shaft 19 rotates at a higher speed in a single direction of rotation. It is desirable for the inner and outer agitator shells 26 and 29 to assume a relatively aligned or neutral position with respect to one another so that at the commencement of the next wash cycle the shells will be adjusted to an angle of displacement and the agitation vanes 24 will be extended to a higher level agitation position corresponding to the quantity of laundry material which has been loaded into the washing machine for the next wash cycle.

In order to begin each wash cycle with the inner and outer agitator shells 26 and 29 in a relatively neutral position a plurality of weighted members indicated at reference numeral 76 are mounted on the leaf springs 72 and, by virtue of the centrifugal force provided thereby at the high speed of rotation during a spin cycle, cause the leaf springs 72 to bend outwardly and contact axially to force the clutch member 67 axially upwardly and move the clutch teeth 66 and 71 out of gripping engagement with one another. As the speed of the drive shaft 19 is reduced at the end of the spin cycle the inner and outer agitator shells 26 and 29 are biased into a neutral relative position by reason of the biasing effect of the helical spring 34 and consequently as the two shells come to rest and the clutch member 67 is again biased axially into engagement with the outer agitator shell 29 the two agitator shells 26 and 29 again assume the neutral position thereof. Thus the relatively angularly displaced position which the shells will assume upon commencement of the next wash cycle will be determined only by the size of the wash load being laundered during such subsequent wash cycle.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A washing machine operable through successive Wash and spin cycles comprising:

a drive shaft having an axis of rotation,

a rotatable agitator assembly including adjustable agitation vane means movable between low and high level agitation positions,

means for oscillating said drive shaft at a given speed during the wash cycle and for rotating the drive shaft in one direction and at a higher speed during the spin cycle,

coupling means drivingly interconnecting said drive shaft and said agitator assembly for oscillating said agitator assembly during a wash cycle and for spinning said agitator assembly during the spin cycle,

said coupling means further comprising means responsive to the turn-resisting force to which the agitator assembly is subjected during the wash cycle for moving said agitator vane means from said low level agitation position to a higher level agitation position corresponding to the size of the wash load in the machine and being further responsive to the speed of rotation of the agitator assem bly during the spin cycle to return the agitation vane means to said low level agitation position.

2. The washing machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling means includes a resilient member between said drive shaft and said agitator assembly to enable said agitator assembly to lag behind said drive shaft during the wash cycle by an angle which corresponds to the magnitude of said load-imposed turnresisting force.

3. The washing machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said agitator vane means comprises an agitation vane movable radially with respect to the axis of rotation of said agitator assembly.

4. The washing machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said speed responsive means comprises a one-way clutch mechanism having a pair of clutch members and means for engaging the clutch members at wash cycle speed and for disengaging the clutch members at spin cycle speed.

5. The washing machine as defined in claim 4 wherein said clutch engaging and disengaging means comprises biasing means for biasing said clutch members together during the S10 wspeed wash cycle and means including weighted members arranged for joint rotation with said drive shaft for overcoming the force of said biasing means and for separating the clutch members during the high speed spin cycle.

6. In a washing machine operable through a low speed wash cycle and a righ speed spin cycle, the improvement of means for automatically adjusting the agitation level of the machine during the wash cycle to correspond to the size of the load of laundry material in the machine comprising,

an agitator assembly having adjustable agitation vane means,

drive means including a rotatable drive shaft and means for oscillating said drive shaft during the wash cycle and for spinning the drive shaft in one direction of rotation during the spin cycle, coupling means between said agitator assembly and said drive shaft including means responsive to the magnitude of the torque to which the agitator assembly is subjected during the wash cycle by virtue of the size of the load of laundry material in the machine for adjusting said agitation vane means from a low level agitation position to a higher level agitation position corresponding to the magnitude of said load-imposed torque,

said coupling means further including means responsive to the higher speed of the spin cycle for returning said agitation vanes to said low level agitation position.

7. The washing machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said coupling means comprises,

a resilient member between said drive shaft and said agitator assembly enabling said agitator assembly to lag behind said drive shaft during the wash cycle by an angle corresponding to the magnitude of said load-imposed torque, and

means responsive to the angle of lag between said drive shaft and said agitator assembly for adjusting said agitation vane means.

8. The washing machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said coupling means comprises,

resilient means interconnecting said drive shaft and said agitator assembly so that said agitator assembly lags behind said drive shaft during the wash cycle as the drive shaft is oscillated in one direction of rotation by an angle corresponding to the magnitude of the load-imposed torque acting on said agitator assembly,

means responsive to the magnitude of the angle by which said agitator assembly lags behind said drive shaft for adjusting said agitation vane means accordingly, and

means for locking said drive shaft and said agitator assembly together for joint rotation as said drive shaft is oscillated in an opposite direction of rotation.

9. An agitator type washing machine operable through a low speed wash cycle and a high speed spin cycle comprising,

an agitator assembly having an axis of rotation and including agitation vanes movable between low and high level agitation positions,

means for oscillating said agitator assembly during the wash cycle and for spinning said agitator assembly during the spin cycle,

means responsive to the size of the load of laundry material in the machine for moving the agitation vanes from said low level agitation position to a higher level agitation position corresponding to the size of the load of laundry material during the wash cycle and for maintaining said agitation vanes at said higher level agitation position during the wash cycle, and

means for automatically returning said agitation vanes to said low level agitation position upon completion of said spin cycle.

10. A washing machine operable through a low speed wash cycle and 'a high speed spin cycle comprising,

a rotatable drive shaft mechanism, means for Oscillating said drive shaft during the wash cycle and for spinning said drive shaft in one direction of rotation during the spin cycle,

a rotatable agitator assembly including an agitator shell and agitation vanes carried for rotation by said agitator shell and operatively connected to said drive shaft mechanism for radial movement in response to relative rotation between said agitator shell and. said drive shaft mechanism,

a resilient lost-motion coupling member between said drive shaft mechanism and said agitator shell, oneway clutch means between said drive shaft and said agitator shell for joint rotation thereof in one direction of rotation during the wash cycle, and

speed-responsive means for disengaging said one-way clutch means during the spin cycle.

11. The washing machine as defined in claim 10 wherein said resilient lost-motion coupling comprises a helical spring having one end affixed to the drive shaft mechanism and the other end affixed to the agitator shell.

12. The washing machine as defined in claim 10 wherein said one-way clutch means comprises,

means forming a first radial wall on said agitator shell having one-way clutch teeth formed thereon,

means including a clutch member having a complementarily toothed second radial wall formed thereon and connected to said drive shaft mechanism for joint rotation therewith and for axial movement relative thereto for moving said radial walls into and out of engagement with one another, and biasing means for biasing said radial walls axially into engagement with one another.

13. The washing machine as defined in claim 12 wherein said biasing means comprises a plurality of axially extending circumferentially spaced leaf springs.

14. The washing machine as defined in claim 13 and including,

weighted members mounted on said springs for disengaging said radial walls in response to the high speed of the drive shaft mechanism during the spin cycle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,388,570 6/1968 Cobb et a1. 68-1 34 3,399,552 9/1968 Salisbury et a1. 68-434 3,401,540 9/1968 Platt et al. 68-134 3,446,044 5/1969 Mischke 68l33 WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 68-133, 134

2 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,511 Dated y 12 1970 Inventor(s) BRUNO SUTER It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

F Column 1, line 4, "Hubertushone" should be -Bensberg bei Koln-column 1, line 7, insert --Claims priority,

application Germany, Oct. 13, 1967, P 16 58 63l.5--

Column 4, line 75, "furtherest" should be furthest Column 6, line 2, "suppport"(2nd occurrence) should be support line 14, "asser'nblying" should be assembling SIGNED AND SEALED MMFIetchn,1r. mm: 2. mm. I

Attestin Offi Oomissioner of Patents 

